WAG 08-01-02-a.
Subtract from gross self-employment income any allowable business expense necessary and directly related to producing goods or services.
What to Allow as a Self-employment Expense
Allowable self-employment business expenses include, but are not limited to:
- replacement of stock,
- purchasing inventory,
- space rental,
- utilities,
- advertising,
- salaries for employees other than the client,
- transportation expenses required for employment, and
- interest on loans for capital assets or durable goods.
Income reinvested in a business, except for the purchase of real estate, is an allowable business expense. This includes the purchase of capital equipment, payment on the principal of loans, and other expenses needed to produce goods and services.
NOTE: Capital equipment is equipment needed to produce self-employment goods (e.g., a printing press, copy machines, farm machinery, tools, sewing machines, tractors, tow trucks, etc.).
What Not to Allow as a Self-employment Expense
Do not allow the following items as self-employment business expenses:
- depreciation;
- obsolescence and/or similar losses in the operation of the business;
- personal business costs;
- entertainment;
- meals; or
- personal transportation.
Business Portions of Household Living Expenses
Portions of household living expenses may be an allowable business expense. The allowable expense is the amount of the increased cost due to the business.
Do not count any portion of household living expenses as a business expense when the self-employment activity does not increase the amount of the expenses.
When to Income-average Expenses
Use income-averaging to determine the amount of the deduction when the only expense is paid weekly or every other week.
Transportation Expenses
The cost of travel necessary for work is allowable. Allow the amount the client claims in their self-employment record for transportation as an expense. The client's record is verification of the expense. If a client uses their vehicle for both
personal and business purposes, allow a percentage of the cost for things like repairs, tune-ups, etc., as a business expense. Allow a percentage of the vehicle costs equal to the percentage of mileage that the vehicle was used for business
purposes.
Self-Employment Rental Income
For self-employment rental income, determine the net earned income from rental by subtracting the expenses of rental from the gross income. Expenses include, but are not limited to:
- repairs,
- utility expenses paid by the landlord,
- taxes,
- insurance, and
- mortgage payments (principal and interest).
When the client and the tenant(s) occupy the same building, the expenses of rental may not be easy to divide because the expenses are not billed separately. When expenses are not billed separately, base the expenses on the percentage of the number of
rooms occupied by the tenant to the total number of rooms in the building. For example, if a tenant occupies 5 rooms and there are 12 rooms in the building, the expenses of rental are 5/12 of the total expenses.
